In the largest LBO announced in more than two years, TPG Capital and CPP Investment Board agreed to pay $5.2 billion for IMS Health Inc. on Nov. 5. For financial advice Norwalk, Conn.-based IMS used Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.'s Ravi Sachdev, Bruce Evans and John Vann -- who worked on the NuVox deal announced two days earlier -- while its special committee tapped Jean Manas and Melissa Fisher of Foros Securities LLC and Kenneth Jacobs and Al Garner of Lazard. Manas launched Foros last month after leaving Deutsche in June over a bonus dispute.

For legal advice, IMS used Keith Pagnani (pictured) and Alan Sinsheimer of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, with S. Neal McKnight on financing. The firm first advised IMS in the late 1990s, when it was considering issuing a tracking stock. S&C also worked on IMS' failed attempts to sell to TriZetto Group Inc. in 2000 and VNU NV in 2005. The target's special committee tapped Frederick Alexander of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP in Wilmington, Del.

The buyers used a legal team led by Alfred Rose at TPG's regular outside counsel, Ropes & Gray LLP, where M&A partner Amanda McGrady Morrison and financing partners Byung Choi and Michael Lee were also in on the deal. Darren Baccus and Joseph Romagnoli of Torys LLP's New York office advised CPP. For financial advice and funding, TPG and CPP Investment Board are using Goldman, Sachs & Co., Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital, Evercore Partners Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.